Horror in Hong Kong after Beijing announces national security law

Activists protest new security laws in Hong Kong, China, May 22, 2020. REUTERS / Tyrone Siu

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Tired of demanding the adoption of national security laws according to local procedures, Beijing has announced its intention to parachute into the Hong Kong Constitution laws on measures destined to quell all protests. Reactions to Hong Kong and explanations of what lies behind this Beijing announcement.

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From our correspondent in Hong KongFlorence Changy

The reactions in Hong Kong, following the announcement that Beijing was going to impose unilaterally, national security laws were at first the shock, almost of terror. People didn't believe their ears. Some speak of the " death of Hong Kong ".

This morning, pro-democracy opposition MPs again disrupted the House Committee session by holding up posters that said " Hong Kong people, rebel!" Hong Kong will become Xinjiang, ”an allusion to the province where the central government has placed hundreds of thousands of Muslims under surveillance and re-education.

There were also calls to demonstrate. But the police use social distancing laws to penalize citizens who demonstrate, even respecting the limit of 8 people per group.

The big question obviously is to see how the Hong Kong people as a whole will they choose to react: by resigning themselves and accepting this coup that might quickly deprive them of most of the freedoms they viscerally hold, sell their soul in short? Or on the contrary will they revolt again, at the risk of a new escalation of violence in the coming months?

Read alsoBeijing wants to present a law on "protection of national security" in Hong Kong

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  • Hong Kong
  • China